College Football Bowl Odds 2023: Betting Tips for Top Games on Wednesday's Schedule
All four games on Wednesday's college football bowl schedule are significantly impacted by opt-outs.
Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, the top two quarterback prospects in the 2024 NFL draft class, opted out of their respective bowl games.
The USC Trojans and North Carolina Tar Heels will both use backup signal-callers and each team is a significant underdog on Wednesday.
The Texas A&M Aggies lost the most players to the transfer portal of Wednesday's eight bowl participants.
A&M will be undermanned for its matchup with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, who may be the most trustworthy favorite on the betting board.
Wednesday's opener between the Virginia Tech Hokies and Tulane Green Wave lost some buzz when Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt hit the portal.
All of the absences make Wednesday's set of games the hardest to predict yet in bowl season, but you can still find some edges to win multiple bets throughout the day.
Military Bowl (2 p.m. ET, ESPN)
The Military Bowl means way more to Virginia Tech than it does for Tulane.
The Hokies earned bowl eligibility by winning two of their final three games to get to 6-6.
Virginia Tech has not finished with a winning record since its 8-5 campaign in 2019.
Additionally, the Hokies are playing a pseudo home game in Annapolis, Maryland. A majority of the crowd on the Naval Academy campus should be in Virginia Tech colors.
Tulane not only lost its starting quarterback to the transfer portal, but it also had its head coach Willie Fritz depart for the Houston Cougars.
The Green Wave will be without Pratt and three offensive skill position players, as well as five defensive starters due to the transfer portal.
The American Athletic Conference runner-up is not expected to put up much of a fight, and if you think Virginia Tech will start strong against a weakened squad, the first-half spread of 6.5 in favor of the Hokies is worth a play as well.
Duke's Mayo Bowl (5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
North Carolina would have had the edge at quarterback in the Duke's Mayo Bowl if Maye played.
However, the likely the top-five NFL draft pick is focused on the next stage of his football career already.
The Tar Heels will also be without top wide receiver Tez Walker, who is also focusing on the draft process.
The offensive cupboard is dry and that could lead to a big win for the West Virginia Mountaineers in Charlotte.
West Virginia, like Virginia Tech, is also in need of a bowl win to finish off its best season in years.
Neal Brown led the Mountaineers to an 8-4 record in a season in which he entered on one of the hottest coaching seats in the FBS.
A Wednesday win would give the Mountaineers their first nine-win season since 2016, and it would earn Brown the illustrious mayo bath after the game.
Holiday Bowl (8 p.m. ET, Fox)
USC has absolutely nothing to play for in the Holiday Bowl.
The Trojans offense will look significantly different without Williams at the helm, and it can't use the game to build for next year because freshman Malachi Nelson is in the transfer portal.
Running back MarShawn Lloyd and wide receiver Brendan Rice also opted out, so new starting quarterback Miller Moss does not have much to work with.
The Louisville Cardinals have no problem playing in lower-scoring games, which is why the under seems like the ideal wager.
Louisville's offense scored over 40 points once this season and that came against FCS side Murray State in Week 2.
Even if the Cardinals dominate the Holiday Bowl, they will probably only score around 30-35 points.
USC's depleted offense can't be counted on to score any more than two touchdowns in its current state. That makes the over/under of 59 points a bit too high for the game in San Diego.
Texas Bowl (9 p.m. ET, ESPN)
It is a surprise to see the Texas Bowl spread so low.
Texas A&M had a majority of its stars leave through the transfer portal once Jimbo Fisher was fired.
The Aggies are going through one of the more drastic roster rebuilds in the FBS offseason, as a bulk of the players from the top recruiting class in 2022, including offensive tackle Walter Nolen and wide receiver Evan Stewart, left the program.
A&M will bring a makeshift roster to Houston and it will rely on a bunch of unproven players to attempt to be competitive for four quarters.
Oklahoma State has the best player on either roster in FBS rushing leader Ollie Gordon, who confirmed earlier this week that he is returning for the 2024 season.
Gordon could feast on the wide-open A&M defense and put up one of the more eye-popping rushing stat lines of bowl season.
Although the point spread suggests the game will be close, OK State has the potential to blow out A&M, especially if the Cowboys get ahead early on the weakened Aggies.
Gambling problem? Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369).
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visiting ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), visiting OPGR.org (OR), or calling/texting TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).
Odds and lines subject to change. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.
